Colin Sheridan: We’ve turned everything into a market — even human suffering

From crypto hype to betting on global crises, speculation is evolving — and ordinary investors are still losing out

(Left to right) Joel Edgerton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Elizabeth Debicki, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire in 'The Great Gatsby'. Jay Gatsby, for all his flaws, at least understood the need for discretion. File picture: Warner Bros

Remember the good old days when a man could become mysteriously rich and at least have the decency to be embarrassed about it. 

Jay Gatsby, for all his linen suits and well-aged scotch, kept a certain hush around the origins of his fortune. There were whispers, certainly — bootlegging, organised crime, a hint of something vaguely unsavoury — but there was also, crucially, a sense that one ought not boast about it.